The Weavers

The Weavers, naturalistic drama in five acts by Gerhart Hauptmann, published in 1892 and performed in 1893 as Die Weber. The play is based on the revolt of the Silesian weavers of 1844 and portrays in a starkly realistic manner the human cost of the Industrial Revolution.

The work reveals how, reduced to destitution because of the introduction of power looms, the weavers are driven to revolt. They march on the home of Dreissiger, their arrogant, exploitative employer, sack his house, and achieve a temporary victory over a company of armed soldiers.